EGYPTIAN MEDIA THEMES, FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 4: IRAQ;

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 CAIRO 001409 SIPDIS DEPT FOR NEA/PPD AND RRU-NEA E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV KPAO KMDR OPRC EG DA XZ IS XF IZ SUBJECT: EGYPTIAN MEDIA THEMES, FEBRUARY 26-MARCH 4: IRAQ; PRESS FREEDOMS; REACTION TO SECRETARYS VISIT TO EGYPT ¶1. Summary. The past week saw strong reactions to the news of the violence in Iraq and to the one-year prison term meted out to a journalist from independent daily, Al-Masry Al-Yom, for publishing a story criticizing a former government minister (although the article was later subsequently retracted). At the same time, the press focused heavily on President Mubarak's regional tour, speculating as to his motives and whether or not they were linked to Secretary Rice's visit of the previous week. Commentary about Secretary Rice's visit continued, and some were more positive than earlier ones. End summary. ¶2. Unity for Iraq? News of internecine violence in Iraq spread throughout the Egyptian media, and spurred commentary on Iraq to an extent not seen previously in ¶2006. While much of the commentary focused on predictions of civil war, many looked inwardly at the unity of Islam. On February 26, all papers carried the denunciation of Sheikh Al-Azhar Tantawi of the Iraqi bombings and his demand that Muslims not differentiate between Sunni and Shi'a. On the same day, a columnist in leading pro- government daily, Al-Ahram (circulation 750,000) challenged Muslims to look inwardly and question their "silence regarding the destruction of real holy places" given their eagerness for violence over the Danish cartoons. Similar commentary in pro-government daily, Al-Akhbar (700,000) on February 26 challenged all Muslims "to defend the Prophet and come together to defuse the tension between the Shi'a and the Sunnis in Iraq." That theme continued on March 1 in the same paper, with the description of the violence as "more blasphemous than the cartoons," and a request that Al-Azhar demonstrate leadership and convene a special conference. Commentaries also focused on whether or not a civil war would really erupt in Iraq. For at least one commentator in Al-Akhbar (February 27),the specter of civil war remained far off, as "Sunni and Shi'a have never fought each other in Iraq before and they know their real enemy." Still, in Al-Akhbar, a daily columnist accused the terrorists led by al-Zarqawi of plotting sectarian tension as a means to "embarrass other Arab countries and drag them into a war to defend the Sunnis." On the same day, an editorial in the more aggressively pro-government daily, Al-Gomhouriyya (circulation 500,000) suggested that Iraqis "unite against the (U.S.-led) occupation" in order to keep from sliding into civil war. ¶2. Government Restrictions on Freedom of the Press. Early in the week, news reports announced the one year sentencing of an Al-Masry Al-Yom (circulation 100,000, independent daily) journalist for writing a news piece that included misinformation about the former Minister of Housing, Ibrahim Soliman. Although the paper published a correction on the following day, Soliman who filed 37 lawsuits against journalists while in office - sued the paper. Throughout the week, considerable news and commentary reaction followed. Reactions were not limited to Al-Masry Al-Yom, but journalists from many papers and several television talk-show commentators commented on the story, citing it as an example of President Mubarak's failure to implement his two-year old promise to dilute the law that allows for imprisonment of journalists. Journalists noted the "irony" that the court ruling was made in February on the same date that Mubarak made his promise back in 2004. Journalists also organized a meeting to demonstrate their ir support for freedom of the press. Commentators also ridiculed the notion that government ministers should be a kind of "holy category above criticism. After the week's heavy commentary and coverage, on March 4, all papers announced that that the former minister in question had responded to requests by the Supreme Council of the Press by agreeing to drop all libel charges against journalists, including the journalist from Al-Masry Al-Yom. ¶3. Television Commentary on Freedom of the Press. Early in the week, both state and satellite television channels carried lively discussion programs on the issue, focusing on journalism as a profession and its role in a democracy. On February 26, Egyptian Television's Channel 2 program, "El-Beit Beitak" (Make Yourself at Home),and Dream TV's "10 PM" hosted guests critical of the verdict, one of whom characterized it as a "flagrant violation of democracy and freedom of the press." Dream TV's guest, a well-known writer, called for protection of journalists whom he described as "only doing their part to expose corruption that is powerful and protected by all means." On February 27, Egyptian Television's Channel One program, "Wughat Nazar" (Point of View) hosted the chairman of the Press Syndicate who averred that "journalists are demanding the right to serve society as a whole by revealing corruption." On February 28, Channel One's program, "Etkallem" (Speak) hosted (al-Manar TV affiliated) Mustafa Bakry, (brother of Mahmoud Bakry, editor of the anti-American weekly, Al- Osbou' and a Member of Parliament) who discussed his 25-day detention under similar charges. He described himself as subject to potential future detention, as the trial is still ongoing, and opined that "President Mubarak is the only official in Egypt who accepts criticism." ¶4. Reactions to the Verdict from Print Journalists. Print journalists from several papers discussed the issue at length, focusing especially on its ramifications for their profession. Independent dailies, Al-Masry Al-Yom and Nahdet Misr (circulation: 50,000 each) analyzed the sentencing in the context of failed government, failed presidential promises, and failed democracy. On February 26, a senior Al-Masry Al-Yom columnist, Magdy Mehanna, criticized President Mubarak for "failing to defend his initiative on canceling this law and allowing the enemies of press freedom to win." A Nahdet Misr columnist commented sarcastically on the GOE's "own kind of democracy," contrasting the freedom given to the Danish cartoonist while Egyptian journalists "who never touch upon religious issues" are imprisoned. On March 2, another Al- Masry Al-Yom columnist declared that "the GOE is the sole beneficiary of the national press which serves the presidency alone," while Nahdet Misr's editor-in-chief argued that press freedom "strengthens the regime, rather than weakens it, as the GOE thinks, and brings it closer to the people." Pro-government dailies, Al-Ahram and Al- Akhbar, focused on Mubarak's failure to implement his promise, but also searched for compromise solutions. Many commentators argued that internal professional standards and "court-imposed fines should be sufficient punishments for journalists," (Al-Akhbar, March 1). Al-Ahram columnist, Salah Montasser, summarized the situation as "bringing journalists together to protest on the second anniversary of the President's promise to abolish the imprisonment of journalists for the stories they write." ¶5. Secretary Rice and U.S. Pressure on Egypt; continued reactions. While President Mubarak embarked on a regional trip of his own, the past week saw continued commentary on the previous week's visit by Secretary Rice. Headlines shifted from Secretary Rice's remarks in Egypt the previous week to Mubarak's comments last week that his Middle East trip had "nothing to do with Dr. Rice's visit," and Egypt is "not being pressured by the U.S.; relations with the U.S. are good" (all papers, February 26-March 1). Some commentaries in pro-government dailies Al-Akhbar and Al- Ahram were surprisingly positive, noting a "change in Rices tactics, as there was no pressure this time and less criticism about democracy" (Al-Ahram, March 1),and there had been a "keenness to use a subtler tone this time" (Al- Akhbar, February 26). However, other columnists in those papers and the independents remained critical of Rices ulterior goals. On March 2, a columnist in Al-Ahram criticized the U.S. for "not learning from its mistakes and trying to force its ways and its will on other countries" and on March 1, a columnist in Al-Masry Al-Yom - whose editor-in-chief, Hisham Kassem, was one of the participants in the Secretary's civil society meeting - predicted that "with the decrease in economic assistance, the U.S. has lost most of its powerful cards in Egypt, except for for military assistance." A February 26 editorial in the sometimes anti-U.S. pro-government daily, Al-Gomhouriyya, called upon the U.S. to "drop its policies of interfering in the internal affairs of the region and adopt a new policy that seeks fair solutions to put out fires rather than igniting them." Ricciardone